3 Plainfield School District 202 seniors named National Merit semifinalists

Plainfield — Three high school seniors from Plainfield School District 202 have been named semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship program.

Plainfield North High School seniors Robert Childs and Bryce Roberts and Plainfield High School-Central Campus senior Eric Frosch will compete in a field of 16,000 students nationwide to earn one of 7,140 National Merit Scholarships.

A total of $28 million in scholarships will be awarded.

Only 2,500 finalists will receive National Merit Scholarships, valued at $2,500 each, although sponsoring corporations also will give out 840 scholarships to finalists who meet their own criteria.

Further, 160 participating colleges also will distribute 3,800 scholarship awards to finalists attending their schools.

Childs, Roberts and Frosch earned their places as semifinalists through high academic achievement and outstanding preliminary SAT scores in their junior year. More than 1.3 million students take the exam across the country to qualify, although less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors meet the criteria to qualify as a National Merit semifinalist.

In order to advance to the finalist level, the semifinalists will need to complete an extensive application process, including a personal essay, and receive an endorsement from their school’s principal. They also must prove their continued academic success by showing SAT scores consistent with their previous results and a record of participation and leadership in the school community.

Finalists will be announced in February, with the winners of the scholarships revealed between April and July.